The Moving Way George W. Bush Remembers Those Who Served Under Him

Former President George W. Bush has a soul after all. Every now and then word would leak out that he and Vice President Dick Cheney regularly met with the families of those killed in the War on Terror. It was seen then, as now, as a classy gesture to at least acknowledge that war is hell and families losing their sons and daughters to it was no joke to the pair.

After his time in the White House, the former Chief Executive took up oil painting. As the creative arts go, those who paint, oil and otherwise, after a traumatic experience find the activity cathartic in a way, kind of like the peace of fishing. After eight years, President Bush 43 now reveals that he has taken to painting portraits of warriors from the Middle East campaign.

From President Bush’s Facebook account:

Over the past several months, I’ve painted the portraits of 98 wounded warriors I’ve gotten to know – remarkable men and women who were injured carrying out my orders. I think about them on #VeteransDay and every day. Their paintings and stories will be featured in PORTRAITS OF COURAGE – a book and special exhibit – next spring, and I am donating all my proceeds to the George W. Bush Presidential Center and our Military Service Initiative’s work to honor and support them.

The Portraits of Courage exhibit will be open for public at the George W. Bush Presidential Center March 2-October 1, 2017. A book, most likely a portrait-sized coffee table edition, will accompany the exhibit. From the Portraits of Courage webpage:

Our men and women in uniform have faced down enemies, liberated millions, and in doing so showed the true compassion of our nation. Often, they return home with injuries—both visible and invisible—that intensify the challenges of transitioning into civilian life. In addition to these burdens, research shows a civilian-military divide. Seventy-one percent of Americans say they have little understanding of the issues facing veterans, and veterans agree: eighty-four percent say that the public has “little awareness” of the issues facing them and their families.

About the Author

A resident of Flyover Country, Cultural Limits is a rare creature in American Conservatism - committed to not just small government, Christianity and traditional social roles, but non-profits and high arts and culture. Watching politics, observing human behavior and writing are all long-time interests.
In her other life, CL writes romance novels under her nom de plume, Patricia Holden (@PatriciaHoldenAuthor on Facebook), and crochets like a mad woman (designs can be found on Facebook @BohemianFlairCrochet and on Pinterest on the Bohemian Flair Crochet board).
In religion, CL is Catholic; in work, the jill of all trades when it comes to fundraising software manipulation and event planning; in play, a classically trained soprano and proud citizen of Cardinal Nation, although, during hockey season, Bleeds Blue. She lives in the Mid-Mississippi River Valley with family and two cute and charming tyrants...make that toy dogs.